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UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

HERMAN A. J. RIECKERT, OF NE'V YORK, N. Y.

-ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,651, dated J' anuary 13, 1891.

Application tiled November 13,1889. l'Serial No. 330,132. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN A. J. RIECKERT, of the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented a new and Improved Envelope,

signed for shipping valuable documents,

inoney, dro., and serving to prevent the opening, by steaming or otherwise, of the envelope, riiiing it of its content-s, and resealing it by dishonest employs or other unauthorized persons during the transportation of the envelope and its contents.

The invention consists of an envelope provided in its back and cover-Hap with openings and a separate liat strip adapted to engage the said openings to interlock the back with the covering-Hap.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specitication, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lis a plan view of the blank for forming the envelope. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the envelope in an open position. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the envelope ina partlyclosed position, and Fig. 4 is a plan View of the envelope sealed.

The improved envelope is made of a blank A, cut in the shape illustrated in Fig. 1, and provided with the usual front B, the side flaps C and D, the bottom Hap E, and the covering-Hap F. In forming the envelope from the blank A the side ilaps C and D are overlapped and fastened together at the overlapping ends by guin orA other suitable means, and the bottom iap E is then folded onto the side apsO and D and gumnied or otherwisel fastened to the same, so as to form the back for the envelope, which is now ready to receive the documents, money, tf-c., for transportation. The bottom flap E is provided with the slots G and G', arranged parallel with each other and with an opening H, located between the two slots G and G and forming for the same the intermediate parts I and I', which remain ungummed. The covering-ap F is provided with two openings J and J', arranged alongside of each other and forming the intermediate part K, which is giiinmed with the rest of the covering-flap, as is plainly shown in Fig. l. The openings J and J are arranged in such a manner that when the flap is folded onto the bottom flap E said openings pass over the parts I and I', respectively, at the same time exposing the slots G and G to view at the rear-that is, the openings J and J are made somewhat longer than the parts I and I', and the part K between the said openings is narrower than the opening II.

Then the covering-flap F is folded .onto the bottom flap E and gummed to the same after the envelope has been filled, then the strip L, of stiif card-board, wood, metal, or other suitable material, can be inserted eiidwise into the slots G and G', so as to be pushed along under the part I or I' to pass over the part K of the covering-flap F, then to again pass under the part I or-I', to finally pass through the slots G and G', so that the ends of the said strip rest on the top of the covering-flap F, as is plainly shown in Fig. 3. The strip L is preferably gunimed on both sides, and before introducing it into the envelope, as above described, the gum is moisteued on both sides, s0 as to firmly adhere to parts of the side flaps C 'D, parts of the bottom ap E, and parts of the covering-Hap F. In order to seal up the ends of the strip L, the covering-flap F is provided with sealing-flaps N and N', arranged in such a manner that when the strip is inserted and the flaps N and N are folded onto the covering-flap F they pass over the end of the strip L and part of the parts [and I of the bottom flap I, so that the ends of the strip L are invisible from the outside, it being under stood that the flaps N and N' are gummed on their front sides, as indicated by shading lines iu Fig. 3. In order to iinally seal the envelope, a gumnied stamp O is pasted over the middle part of the strip L on the coveringllap F, part of the stamp I passing over the parts I and I', as is plainly shown in Fig. 4.

It will be seen that the strip L is completely hidden from view, and in order to IOO open the envelope it would be necessary to cut it before it could be riled of its contents.

It is understood that envelopes as heretofore constructed were subject-ed to a steam bath or other process by dishonest employs and other unauthorized persons,.by which process the several gummed fiaps could be opened to permit of removing.,T the contents of the envelope and resealing the same without showing any traces as to how the contents were removed.

In the envelope shown and described the steaming or similar process will not have much eiect, as the strip L is gnmmed on its under side to the several aps C, D, E, and F, and the several flaps are gummed one upon the other, and finally the strip L itself is sealed, so that it will be next to an impossibility to loosen the strip L by steam or other means without destroying,- the envelope.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentm 1. An envelope provided with openings in its back and covering-flap, in combination with a fiat strip interwoven in said openings and locking' the Hap to the back, substantially as described.

2. An envelope provided with two slots and an opening between the slots in its back and with two openings in its covering-Hap, in combination with a strip interwoven in said slots and openings, the said strip passing under the parts of the back between the slots and opening and over the part of the flap between the openings therein, substantially as herein shown and described.

The combination, with an envelope provided with an opening and slots in its back and with openings in its covering-flap, of a separate strip adapted to be interlaced in the said openings and slots, with its ends resting upon the covering-flap, and gummed flaps formed on the said covering-Hap and adapted to seal up the ends of the said strip, substan-l tially as shown and described.

HERMAN A. J. RIECKERT. Witnesses:

THEO. G. HosTER, EDGAR TATE. 

